The Power Within
by Denpa-chu
Summary: During the Chunin exams Sakura comes across a dark and mysterious power.


Summary: During the Chunin exams in the forest of death Sakura obtains a terrifying power.

"_Thinking", "_talking", **inner**, "_**Demon"**_

"Is this it?" Naruto said with a rather disappointed sigh.

"Well what did you expect Naruto it is called the Forestof _death_ for a reason" Sakura let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well yeah but... I expected it to be more impressive".

Sakura let out another sigh. Naruto was having one of his moments.

Her eyes glanced over to the stoic Uchiha observing the dark forest with absolutely no hint of emotion.

"Nh" - The iconic sound of the Uchiha – was evidently all Sasuke had to say about the matter. Feeling her eyes on him he turned to her.

"what is it Sakura?" Sasuke asked with very little interest.

"Oh... nothing." Sakura said hesitantly before averting her gaze to the floor. _I'll never be as strong as them. Why do I even bother_, she thought before closing her eyes and falling deeper into the dark realms of self pity.

Her wallowing was soon disturbed however, when Anko, The Konoha Kunoichi in charge of the second stage of the exam, announced that it was time for them all to enter the forest and begin their new mission.

000

About half an hour had passed since they had begun their journey through the forest, and both Sakura and her team where now a long way away from the gate through which they had entered. They where travelling at a steady run in a companionable silence, all of them apparently unwilling to discuss any plans for the daunting task ahead.

Suddenly Sakura felt an unfriendly Chakra approaching them at an alarming rate, and stopped dead in her tracks. The others came to halt a few feet ahead.

"What's wrong Sakura Chan?" Naruto questioned, regarding her quizzically.

Sakura opened her mouth to tell them to retreat so that she could explain, when a Kunai fell inches away from Naruto's nose, causing him to cry out and jump backwards in alarm. They all looked frantically towards the treetops, searching for the source of the Kunai. However, they didn't have to search long before a solid wall of the fiercely sharp daggers began to rain down upon them.

Wide eyed and calling out in bewildered terror, they dodged and scattered in a disorganised escape which left Sakura fleeing in completely the opposite direction to her companions.

Oblivious to this, Sakura kept running at full speed in blind panic until she realised that her pursuers had given up the chase. Panting vigorously she slumped onto a nearby tree stump and looked up. The trees where so over grown here that not a single drop of sunlight could trickle through their thick and twisted boughs.

She flinched as the sound of screaming ripped through the suffocatingly black air. Pushing herself away from her momentary backrest, she searched frantically for a place to hide.

Spotting an opening in the roots of a large, decaying Oak she dived in without a moments hesitation, pushing herself as far away from the sound of the approaching footsteps as she could. Why couldn't her heart stop beating so loudly?! It would surely give away her position any time now...

_**SNAP!**_

Sakura let out a squeal of terror as she felt the earth fall from underneath her. She fell with the mangled debris of the old Oak tree's roots and the thin layer of dirt and stone that had been supporting her moments before.

She tumbled onto a hard stone floor with a loud, unceremonious clunk that echoed through her new location, which she could only presume was some kind of hallway. _M__ust be so the examiners can get around the __Forest_. She thought as she looked up towards where she had been hiding. _Did I really fall that far?!_

Sighing and picking herself up she rubbed her bruised behind indignantly. _Stupid forest with its stupid broken floor_ She growled.

Suddenly the heart-wrenching sound of a moaning animal echoed through the hallways. Feeling somewhat drawn to the sounds she started to stalk cautiously down the dark winding hall ways until she came across a large wooden door riddled with chakra seals, incantations, paper charms and some other things Sakura has never seen before.

Sakura suddenly flinched from the pain in her knees and gasped when she saw that blood was gushing out of some fresh wounds. _Must have been when I fell _she thought to herself, clasping her hand over one of her knees.

"Damn it! ... why am I so weak, Ino's right I'm pathetic!" Frustrated tears began to sear hot trails down her cheeks.

**"Girl!"**A voice rumbled through her making her whole body tremble. She looked towards the heavy door with wide, startled eyes. She could feel the chakra oozing through the cracks between its frame.

"what, who's there?!" Sakura asked in alarm. It sounded as if the voice had come from the other side of the door.

**"Open the door Child, and you will see"**, With her eyes still widened in fear, her shaking hands unconsciously moved towards the door and ripped of the main seal.

The doors flung open revealing a huge beast. Just one of the creature's paws alone was bigger than her entire body.

Two enormous yellow eyes glinted at her dangerously.

"**Girl. come closer. I have a proposition for you" **Said the beast.

Sakura felt herself drawn forward by it's words. What would it do if she allowed herself to move any closer to its huge jaws? Somehow, she found it difficult to care. The Beast's aura was just so alluring...

"What is it?" She heard herself ask dreamily. The sound of her voice seemed to shake her from her temporary trance and she halted quite suddenly, mere feet away from the creatures jagged fangs. "This proposition of yours?" She finished her question hesitantly.

The beasts sharp eyes regarded her thoughtfully, before it opened it's jaws to answer in a deep booming voice

"**In exchange for your body... I will give you power."**


End file.
